before the Elders made his Confession as followeth UNto this day I do understand but little of the English Language the Word of God came not first unto my heart by the English Language I did not know what state I was in at my first birth and my sin by birth I knew not When I was young I knew not what I was as now I do know for now I know that I am a sinful man Since I prayed to God I know more of my self but afore I cared not for such things nor what they said If I heard any thing I took no heed to it if any asked me whether I knew God I did not regard it yea I hated the knowledg of God nor did I regard any word of God but other kinde of praying which we used I did love to pray to the Devil this I loved But afterward I began to think it may be they say true that speak of God it may be it is true that God is in heaven and should any teach me in my language I might know God but if I should pray it may be it is in vain to pray in my language could I speak English I might learn to pray And I see the English love us and therefore it is like that is true which they say of God and I desire to live for ever where they do When I first heard the Word it said God is good a little I believed it but I did more doubt Mr Iackson asked me if I did pray to God I asked him whether God understood our language if I prayed to him Hee said yea all things God doth know and all languages Then my heart said It may be I may attain to pray But my heart was hard and therefore I could not pray afterwards it may be I may Sometime I thought if we did not pray the English might kill us but if I prayed I thought I did not pray right When I saw and considered that all men in the world dyed I knew not how I might come to live for ever how my soul might live and therefore I desired I might pray to God aright because they that so pray are all one as if they dyed not but live for ever I wish't I could pray aright but could not tell how to do it I did in my heart love wandering about and our wilde courses alwaies and when I did pray it was but out-side praying for in my heart I understood not right praying to God I understood not how to pray and I regarded not my weariness of that which was good many things hindred my heart I was ashamed because my heart was full of evil Sometimes I thought of my sins but it was but a little and I was soon weary of any good I did not think God was not mercifull but I saw my heart was naught and very little did I know the evils of my heart No humility was in my heart and to this day my heart is evil and hard is my heart When you taught us the Word of God my heart did not believe but went contrary to the Word of God I saw my mourning for sin was not good I do confess my heart did not submit to God only I hoped I might might learn the Word of God which you taught us My heart did afore love praying to the Devil but I do not finde that I so love praying to God therefore I did pray Lord break my heart that I may pray to God aright My heart was weary of praying quickly and therefore my heart said Surely my heart is nought and I am like a dead man and therefore I prayed Lord help me now to pray aright to God Now I knew that God knoweth all the thoughts of my heart and my many sins and contrary doings and how little I know of God Surely I am a great sinner and this I do throughly know that great are my sins and that my heart is contrary to praying to God and my heart desired wilde courses and I see that my heart loveth not praying to God Yet now my heart began to desire to pray and to love those things which are according to right praying but I knew not what to do Then I asked what I should do then I heard this answer I should desire Christ to break my heart by his spirit none else in the world could do it no man could work faith in me but the Word which I heard doth it I could not my self repent of sin or be ashamed but this I know that the Word of God saith Those that believe in Christ shall not perish but have eternal life Then my heart said Oh Lord let it be so to me and let not my heart say contrary Again I heard If any be foolish let him ask wisedom of God who giveth freely Then my heart said I am foolish Oh Lord teach me Then I feared that my heart in vain seeketh and then I desired humility and that I might not pray in vain and that I might not pray only outwardly But my heart had contrary and misbelieving thoughts dayly and my heart did not dayly desire after God and but a little could I remember of God Sometime my heart desired not to be like to such as prayed aright unto God therefore I desired the Image of God upon me and that I might be like to them wch prayed to God aright alwaies I thought that what God said in his Word was right I heard this word The Foxes have holes and the Birds have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head Then my heart said Truth Lord the riches of this world are of no value and therefore I desire not this worlds goods but only heavenly blessings and grace I desire the way to the Heavenly Kingdom And always my heart saith touching my poverty and misery I give myself and my soul to God and to Christ because that is right Again I learn in the Catechize Q. What hath Christ done for us A. He dyed for us hee was buried he rose again for us and by his resurrection hee raiseth our souls unto grace and also at the last day And my heart said Oh let it be so in me Again it is said What else hath Christ done for us A. He ascended to heaven to raise our hearts first to heaven and then to carry us to heaven also to be with him for ever My heart saith Oh God I am not able to save my self I cannot save my own soul this is only thy work Oh God and my heart believeth it and with God is mercy and goodness but in this world is nothing but weariness and I know my weakness therefore I am ashamed and Oh let God put grace into my heart and my heart saith Oh let me not say in vain that I believe Oh Lord help that I may truly believe not by my works but by thy Word Oh God Again it is said in Catechism Why is
did not rightly pray though I came on the Sabbath day Then about the time that my Son who was at School was born the Minister taught on 1 Chron. 28. 9. Thou Solomon my son know the God of thy fathers c. if thou seek him hee will be found of thee if thou forsake him hee will cast thee off for ever Then I feared for I said This already I have done I have cast off God and therefore he will cast off me for every such one God will cast off I know not what to do It repented me for my sin I feared Gods wrath and damnation Then I prayed and call'd upon God yet only sometimes I repented and after I found my heart full of sin again But then I was angry at my self and knew not what to do alwayes I did fear God hath cast me off for all my many sins which I have done Hereby I was troubled and angry at my self Then I heard that word Who ever repent and believe shall be saved I l'e pardon them Then my heart cryed Oh Christ let it be so that my sins may be pardoned and that I may pray alwaies Then I begged Lord give me repentance and faith and I did pray to God much Then I did beg that I might give up my self wife and children to God as long as we live and then I prayed Then I heard that word Mat. 5. Hee that looks on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery in his heart I then remembred my sins that though I had promised to pray yet I had thus sinned and my heart was now troubled about this My heart said Cast off praying because you are filthy in lust your heart and eyes still commit adultery therefore run away from these that pray to God and go to Qunniticot or some other place and if you be in other places you may do what you will and my heart almost inclined to this sin But after that this merciful word of God I heard That Satan led Christ into the wilderness to tempt him and so I thought hee would do me Then I desired God to be merciful to me then I turned to God and cryed but knew not what to do for I feared God had cast me off and I shall perish for ever God has cast me off and I have deserved hell fire Then I heard that word Joh. 14. 6. None come to the Father but by me I did pray Oh Christ let it be so that by thee I may come to God and I pray Christ Jesus pardon all my sins this mercy I beg Then I repented my casting off praying to God then I promised I would not return again to sin and if Christ help me I and children shall serve God Then that Spring my mother and two children dyed and I was troubled and knew not what to do my heart said Lay by prayer but that I did not but I saw Christ came to give eternal life and therefore what Christ will do for me so let it be Therefore I believe only in Christ for eternal life and what Christ will do with my soul so let it be and my soul desireth that I may receive the Seals to make strong my heart Piumbuhhou ASsuredly I have nothing that I should confesse as I ought for my heart is full of foolishness and darkness stopt up is my heart and deaf are my ears I know not by what way I can get life I was born in sin into this world and therefore I am in folly and I know my heart is full of foolishness and ignorance I am a great sinner ever since I saw light in this world my foolishness appeareth in every thing I do in this life I know not what God hath given me but now I hear of the mercy of God who hath made the world and all things in it by this great work of his I know there is a God and because my heart checketh mee for sin and I fear the punishment of God And the Word of God now sheweth me that there is a God therefore my heart sayes I desire to pray to God and because God is angry with me for all my sins I know nothing by my self but that which is evil I heard that word Mat. 5. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Then my heart said So be it Oh Lord to me and I love thee as long as I live Then said my heart I am a poor man and desire to pray to God Again God said Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled Then when I heard that word my heart rejoyced and yet again I doubted and my heart misbelieved and feared Then that word came that Christ saith Be ye mercifull as your heavenly father is merciful And again Hee maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust When I heard it my heart rejoyced to hear of the mercy of God yet I doubted and my heart was hard again Now I confess before God because God is a great God and a mercifull God and I pray to him I heard of Gods great mercy to give us his only Son to dye for us therefore I loved God and I begged Oh God pardon all my sins and I give up my self to Jesus Christ Monotunkquanit BEfore I prayed to God I lived at Nipmuk I did not know that there was a God only I lived for nothing for no end or purpose but I alwaies did wilde actions I kept no Sabbath nor Lecture nor any work of Prayer nor did I remember my works I now know that all my words and works are naught my eyes and ears are stopped and mad works I dayly did After I went to Dorchester Indians the praying Indians and they that were my friends did say it was good to pray to God and said Tomorrow is our Lecture and the Minister cometh to teach us then my heart desired to see the Minister and hear what he said next day he came and taught the Indians I went and desired to see when I came my son Sam. came with mee the Minister call'd my son and set him afore and asked him Who made him and he was taught to answer God Then he commended my son and asked whose son he was they said Mine The Minister gave him two apples then the Minister said to me Do you pray to God you see your childe saith God made him and therefore it is your duty to pray to God Then I considered what he said I could not sleep that night I considered whether I should pray to God my heart did much doubt that night Shall I pray my heart said No yet I doubted Then Waban came to my house to Nipmuk and perswaded me to pray to God I said I know not how to pray Hee said God will teach you God is a great God and made all the world I
answered Who knoweth that and who can witness that He said The Minister is sent of God and sheweth us Gods Word and hee by that teacheth us Then I promised Waban that when hee came again I would pray to God Then Toteswamp came and exhorted me to pray to God and told me of Christ and pardon of sin and then almost my heart prayed to God Then I said English men understand not me and does God understand me They said God made all◠and understands all then I said I will pray to God Then I heard first that God made heaven and earth and all things and in six dayes finished them and also made man in his own Image wise and holy like God Then I heard that Satan came and tempted Eve and cozened her and she tempted the man And God had said Eat not of the tree in the midst of the Garden if yee eat thereof yee shall dye yet she did eat and gave unto man and he did eat and thereby he sinned and all his posterity became sinful and deserved damnation Then my heart said What shall I do and I prayed for my children for now I hear of eternal damnation and sure I am a great sinner Again I heard the Minister preach That Christ was born like a man and was both God and man and dyed for us and sheweth us the way of eternal life Then I cryed Oh Lord give me Christ because Christ hath dyed for us and hath made his righteousness ours and our sins are Christs as Adam made his sin ours Now my heart was broken and I saw that I was a great sinner When I heard of the great works of Christ I said Oh what shall I do that I may get Christ I said in my heart Oh let the holy Spirit help me for I am ashamed of my sins melted is my heart and I desire pardon of all my sins now I desire to forsake all my sins and now I desire dayly to quench lusts and wash off filth and cast out all my sins by the blood of Jesus Christ and this I do by believing in Jesus Christ Gen. 6. there was only one Noah righteous and God saved him then my heart said Oh mercifull God who savest them that trust in thee save mee Again God made his Covenant with Abraham and with all the seed of Abraham now I desire to have this Covenant and to receive this Commandement of Christ Abraham was strong in faith and followed Christ and my heart doth desire to follow Christ because he hath dyed for us Wutásakómpauin OH Christ help mee I confess my sins before God and before men We are all born in sin because Adam sinned and made his sin ours Our Parents knew not God nor the way of life we Indians are all sinners and did all sins afore we heard of God we did pray to every thing that is in the world and knew not the way of life When English men came first we did pray to the Devil and many were our sins and God doth know all our sins all which we have committed before the English came After the English came I went to Sudbury to Mr Browns house and he said to me Pray to God but I did not like it nor to hear of praying to God but afterwards I heard Waban prayed to God and I was not glad of it yet after Waban prayed he told us of it and that the Minister came to Noonantam I heard him and he taught that the souls of good men die and go to heaven the souls of the wicked when they die they go to hell but I only heard it Then we resolved we would pray to God and carry our children to Roxbury that they might learn to pray but we feared that we should not learn to pray After the Minister taught that word that every man himself must pray and believe to be saved and though your sons be at Roxbury and learn to pray yet if you pray not you must be damned Again I heard many words of God this was one Therefore watch for ye know not the day or hour when the Lord will come When I heard that I knew not what to do nor do I know when is the day of death But I am full of sin and when I die Christ will not receive me because I am so full of sin After that my wise dyed and then weak was my heart almost I left praying to God but yet I did not so But after I heard that word of God Who ever heareth the word and doeth it is like a wise builder who built on a rock and when the storms and floods came and beat upon the house it stood because it was built upon a rock But hee that heareth the word and doth it not is like a foolish builder who built upon the sand and the storms and floods came and beat upon that house and it fell because it was built on the sand By this I saw that I was a foolish builder because the death of my wife did almost make me leave praying to God After I had another wife and shee dyed also Then I heard that word That it is Gods love by afflictions to call us to repentance and therefore my heart said Oh Lord I will pray Oh Lord help me Again I heard another word that at the end of the world all must appear before the Iudgment Seat of Christ and therefore now confess all your sins and repent because Christ hath writ down all your actions both good and bad and all shall be opened and therefore repent of your sins that they may be pardoned Then I said I am a great sinner and ever I commit sin I confesse I have deserved hell and I cannot deliver my self but I beg of God Oh Lord give me Christ and I give my soul to Christ that all my sins may be pardond and I now confess my sins before man but at the end of the world I must be judged by Jesus Christ Now I desire the spirit of God would help me to confess all my sins to God that they may be pardoned in Jesus Christ THese Confessions I wrote in English from their mouthes with the best of my endeavours both for diligence and also faithfulness and so soon as they had done I read them unto the Elders and Brethren and Sisters there present and that the substance hereof was delivered by them and faithfully translated and delivered by me to the lest of my understanding I do here before the Lord testifie JOHN ELIOT I Did understand most things that some of those Indians spake and though others spake not so well to my understanding yet many things I understood of what they all spake and thus much I may testifie that according to what I understood the substance of their Confessions is here truly set down JOHN ELIOT jun. Waban being sick when the rest made their Confession after the Lord had restored him came to Roxbury and
English Towns on the Sabbath day and I played for I did not regard that sin I thought it vain to keep one day yet I feared that the English should see me play least they should be angry but not because I offended God Afterwards I heard that my Brothers prayed and therefore I disliked them and I thought I will forsake my Brothers because they do a vain work and I did run away into the Country but they soon found me and asked me to pray and they pitied me and loved me and therefore I returned not because I loved God but because I loved my brothers My brother said Go dwell with the English and learn their manners I yeilded because I loved my brother I dwelt here at Roxbury and came to this meeting house but in vain I prayed not one word and my heart did misbelieve I heard the Minister preach that there is one God and he made the World and all things in it but my heart thought it was a vain word I thought my Father made me and not God Again I returned from this Town but yet I did not pray I heard the Commandements Thou shalt not murder Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour Thou shalt not covet c. and other sins and punishments I heard of and I feared to sin because of man and because of punishment but not for fear of God therefore vain were all my wayes When I came back to Noonantam I did the same sins again especially I loved lust yea after my praying and being among them I loved it more then before When the Minister came and taught I went to the meeting but in vain I learned nothing but I still loved all our sins and lusts Afterward hearing the Catechism Who made you God Who redeemed you Jesus Christ c. my heart misbelieved and said I will not believe I will go away into the Country Again I heard that God made all the world and then a little I believed and thought I will pray to God but weak it was Again I heard Mat. 7. Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened to you Then I prayed a little and then I thought there was a God who made the whole world I thought man could not make the world but only God and therefore I did pray unto him Afterward my Brothers were sick and others also I remembred that word Ask and ye shall have then I prayed to try if that word was true but they dyed then I thought that was a vain word and that God heareth not our prayers and that God is not therefore I thought I will cast off praying and run away I did not believe in God my heart said I shall die whether I pray or not pray all is one Then I heard that praying was the way to Everlasting Life but yet I regarded not praying I thought of running away and yet I thought whether I go or stay I shall die and therefore I was troubled but I did not pray Afterward I was at work and my head was broken in the Saw-pit and then I knew God was angry with me because I prayed not and then I did much know my sins I thought surely God is angry I remembred that I had heard that Word preached Watch for ye know not the hour that the Son of Man cometh this I remembred when my head was broken I heard that God made all the world and Adam and set Adam in Paradise and bid him eat of all the Trees saving of the Tree in the midst of the Garden if he eat thereof he should die but Adam did eat thereof and died then my heart believed surely God is and he made the world and man and me I heard Gen. 1. God said Let us make man in our own Image and let him have dominion over all the creatures Then my heart believed sure God is good to man and man is a sinner against God and therefore God is angry with me for my sins I heard that God formed man of the dust of the earth and breathed into him the breath of Life and then my heart said surely God made the world and man and me and all things and my heart believed And now I know God is angry with me now I will pray to God as long as I live and no more return to sin but I will do Gods Word all my daies Again I heard that God made Adam sleep and took out of him a rib made it a woman and brought her to man then I thought sure God made us and the world and these great works shew that there is a God Again I heard that God called her the Mother of all living and by that means we have life and then I believed that God made us and therefore I will pray to God as long as I live and no more cast it off Again I heard Gen. 6. that God saw the sin of man that it was great and that all the thoughts and imaginations of his heart are only evil continually and therefore God was angry and repented that he had made man and therefore drowned the world and every living creature he caused it to rain fourty dayes on the earth then my heart said sure there is a God and he will perform all his threatnings he is God and therefore he will do it Again I heard that God found Noah righteous and he found favour in his sight he believed in God and did obey his Word and God saved him Then my heart desired to believe that God is and to pray unto him Again I heard Gen. 19. that the Angels of God came to Lot in Sodom and delivered just Lot but did burn up with the wicked Sodomites with fire from heaven who had cast off praying to God and did commit great sins against God therefore I saw that I had deserved to be burnt because I had done their sins And when God sent his Angels and did deliver just Lot and then the rest were burnt then I saw in my heart sure God is merciful to them that love him and therefore my heart said I will no more return to sin but I will follow God but yet sometimes I doubted but I believed the mercy of God according to that I heard Mat. 1. she called his Name Jesus for he saveth his people from their sins Then my heart thought surely it is true that Christ is the Son of God and was made man and is merciful but yet I still did doubt whether Christ was the Son of God Again I heard Mat. 3. Repent for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand And again The voice of one crying in the Wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord and make his paths straight My heart said I desire to repent and to make ready my heart for God that I may have mercy and pardon in Christ Jesus Again the word
I heard that Christ only is our redeemer and Saviour my heart did much joy in it and I desired to pray and heare the Word as long as I live Another Word of Christ I heard Whoever forsaketh father or mother or brother or lands for my sake c. My heart said ô Lord let it be so I have for Christ his sake left all and come to pray And I desire now to confess before the Church of Roxbury and do submit to your government and Gods Ordinances among you He was going on but shortness of time made me take him off When I had read this confession and the witnesses had spoke as before some of the Elders present did move that seeing there be two more to speak and the time streight and seeing Mr Peirson had in private taken in writing their confessions which they perceived by his testimony to be for substance the same which they expressed in publick What if the Assembly should heare Mr Peirson read those two remaining confessions according as he had taken them The motion was acceptable to the Assembly and he did read them which are as followeth Piumbuhhou First THis I say in the presence of God and in your presence Verily I knew not how or what to confess or God before I prayed I knew not who gave me life and being but I thought my life was of my self I confess I was born in sin my Parents were sinners and I thought I had life from none but my Parents therefore my sins were very great from the first time that I saw light untill this day I do nothing else but sin hard is my heart proud is my heart and hypocriticall I do hypocriticall acts to this day I act foolishly and deceitfully therefore so many are my sinnes that I am not able to express them only this I say that I am naught Then I heard that Waban prayed and they said to me pray to God but I hated it for I had a wife and many children and therefore I cared not for praying I thought if they were any of them sick the Pauwaus could make them well therefore I believed not Waban when he exhorted me to pray to God Then my wife and children died then my afflicted poore heart came in and the Minister came to me and said pray to God because God afflicteth and tryeth you my heart said when the Minister spake to me let it be as you say that God may shew me that mercy then my heart said I will pray to God from henceforth as long as I live Then I heard the Minister Preach of the great works of God in making Heaven and Earth and therefore fear the great punishments of God and because my heart so feared and condemned me therefore I did believe that God is who had punished me and took away my children Again I heard from Mat. 5. Christ saith Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of God and blessed are the mercifull for they shall find mercy my heart said I am a poore man and therefore I will pray to God so long as I live and I desire to find mercy with God Again now my heart saith I am weak and doubting and full of misbelief Again I heard that Word of Christ which saith Come unto me all yee that are weary and heavy laden and yee shall find rest my heart said be it so O Lord and now I will pray to God as long as I live my heart said surely I am greatly laden with many and great sins and therefore I will go to Christ and pray unto him as long as I live Again Christ saith Take up my hurden and learne of me for I am humble and meeke then my heart said surely I am a great sinner and therefore I desire to learne of Christ and to follow him Again Christ faith Yee shall find rest to your soul and therefore my soul desired to pray as long as I live that I may find rest to my soul in Christ Again my heart did gladly hear the Word of Christ and the great redemption of Christ Again I learned in a Catechism that Christ sendeth his Spirit into my heart to break it to make it repent to convert me to cause me to believe my heart said therefore I desire to pray to God and to believe for pardon and adoption and peace with God Then hearing of the mercy of Christ my heart said I am like a dead man and therefore I desire to be with Christ as long as I live my heart did not know how to Convert and turn to God therefore my heart did gladly pray to God for it my heart did desire to pray because I heard Christ is our redeemer and doth deliver our soules I cannot deliver my selfe therefore I desire that Christ may be my deliverer therefore I betrust my soul with Christ as long as I live and because Christ is my mercifull God therefore let him do with my soul what he will When Mr Peirson had read this Confession he was desired to go on and read the last which was Wabans Confession and is as followeth Waban First I Confess that before I prayed it was hard to love another fashion then my old course my Parents were sinners and in my Mothers belly I was in sin after I was born the same way of sin I followed When I was a child I grew up in sin and I did not know that they were sins but now of late I know them in my youth also in the same sins I lived and did not know them to be so but by the remebrance of my waies I do remember my sins and hereby I am made to understand that my Parents taught me to love sin And after they were dead others taught me to sin I liked to be taught to commit sin those that taught me said to me Choose to be a Pauwau they said If you be a Pauwau you may make others to live and if you he a Pauwau God will blesse you and make you rich and a man like God Then I desired so to do also I alwaies desired other sins for my heart did desire to grow up in those sins alwaies lust I desired alwaies my heart labored and desired to know how to adde to and to multiply my sins Thus it came to pass that I knew abundance of sins before I knew my waies were sin When the English came hither they said when I came to the Englist houses that I loved the Devil then I was very angry and my words were You know the Devil I do not know the Devil and presently I would go out of the house Sometime they spake meekly to me and would say God is in heaven and he is a good God yet I regarded not these words but strongly I loved my sins it was hard for me to believe what the English said after many yeares I sometime believed a word but I left not my sin When I began
Say not I will pray hereafter but now Today if yee will hear his voice harden not your hearts but pray to God and that made my heart to yield to do it Then I understood Gen. 2. that God formed man out of the dust of the earth and breathed into him a living soul by this I did believe that God made me And I heard that God caused Adam to sleep and took out a rib and made it a woman and by this I believed that surely this is the work of God Again I heard that wee are born in sin under the guilt of Adams sin and by that I believed that I was a sinner Again I heard Gen. 6. that all the thoughts and imaginations of the heart of man are only evil continually and that God did threaten to destroy man whom hee had made and all beasts and living creatures which hee had made and by this I saw that surely sin is a very great evil Again I heard that Noah found grace and hee onely was upright before God and that God drowned all the world except Noah and his sons and their wives eight persons this did make mee remember my sinnes and confesse them and I saw that God is angry with sin It rained forty dayes and so drowned all the world then I said Surely this is Gods work and hee doth as he threatned to do to sinners and the same may God do to me who am a sinner and my heart is full of sin and evil thoughts c. And then I prayed Oh God be not angry with mee but be mercifull to mee and shew mee what I should do Then I considered why did God bid Noah make an Ark and saved Noah and his Sons and their Wives and by it my heart saw that this is Gods work who does what hee speaketh and hath mercy on whom hee will And my heart thought does God pardon mee and love mee It may be God will have mercy on mee I heard that promise Mat. 3. Repent and believe for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand then my heart said Oh that God would help mee and pardon my sins And God made mee wonder at Gods mercy to mee I heard of Sodom and their great sin and destruction and that did make me to remember my great sins and the great work of God that hee had almost kill'd mee Oh I thought this is Gods work to shew mee my sinnes and as God saved Lot by the Angels and sent him out of the place but burnt Sodom and all the people this I saw to be Gods work now I desired to fear God and pray unto him all the dayes of my life Again I heard Mat. 3. The axe is laid to the root of the tree every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire then I feared my own case because my fruits were sin and I deserved to be cut down then I desired to believe in Christ I did believe that Christ is the Son of God by that word Matth. 4. Satan tempted Christ If thou be the Son of God c. but Christ conquered Satan and therefore assuredly hee is the Son of God Then I considered that place Mat. 11. Many came to Christ the halt and blinde and lame and deaf and sick and hee healed all and if they did but touch Christ they were healed and therefore my heart believed assuredly hee is the Son of God and therefore now I will pray and Oh let Christ save mee And Christ hath promised Whatever yee ask in my name it shall be done therefore now I prayed Oh Christ Jesus pardon mee but my heart is weak and doubting and I cannot believe And I heard that word that every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire then I said I deserve that Again that word Not every one that sayeth Lord Lord but hee that heareth the Word and doeth it Assuredly it is so and I desire not only to hear the Word but to do it then my heart was ashamed of my sinnes and grieved I heard that word Matth. 6. Blessed art thou Simon bar-Ionah flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my heavenly Father then my heart said Yea Lord no man has taught mee Christ onely God hath taught my heart to know Christ Again I heard that word Mat. 1. Hee will save his people from their sins then my heart said Be it so to mee Oh Lord Again I heard that Christ rose again the third day with an Earth-quake and the Watchmen were afraid and fled then my heart said Surely this is Christ the Son of God and whosoever believeth in Christ his soul shall go to heaven For again I heard of the Ascension of Christ and more then five hundred saw him ascend and therefore I believe this is Christ the Son of God Again I heard that in John 14. No man cometh unto the Father but by mee my heart answered Yea assuredly Oh Lord Christ is the way to believe in and come to God Again I heard that Mat. 25. Christ saith to the wicked Depart yee cursed I said God might justly say so to mee and send mee to eternal death But I earnestly cryed to God Oh God set mee into the right way and give mee Christ that I may ever walk with Christ for I am poor and weak and Christ promiseth that what wee ask hee will grant and I say Let God do with mee what hee will but I beg mercy in Christ onely I desire to pray to God as long as I live Iohn Speen THis I confess that I assuredly am a great sinner before the Lord but now I beseech God to help mee Oh Christ lead mee in the right way that I may speak that which is right This I confesse that before wee prayed to God I was wholly a sinner and not only before but since praying to God I have been a great sinner and now I desire to make a short confession for we desired that they would be shorter the time requiring so At first when I prayed my prayer was vain and only I prayed with my mouth and on the Sabbath only I came to the House of Prayer I prayed morning and evening and when I eat but I considered not what I prayed for I was sometime angry and passionate about wordly matters and I was troubled when I saw my brother was chosen to be a Ruler who was younger then I because now I saw that I was a sinner and though I repented yet presently again I fell into sin therefore I thought surely God hath cast me off because I thus sin and still my heart was full of sin all my thoughts were full of sin all my talk and doings were sinfull But now of late about 2 yeares ago I heard this word Mat. 12. When the unclean spirit was cast out hee went up and down unquiet then hee returned and took 7 devils with him worse
as other youths did at all these things because thereby did original sin grow in me and hard it was to root it out and hard to believe After this I heard still and more I understood I heard Gen. 16. that the people were full of sin lust and all other sin and therefore the Lord destroyed them and I knew that I had the same sins and therefore I was afraid but I feared only this bodily life and not for my Soul After this my heart did a little desire to pray to God because God found Noah righteous and did save him therefore I desired to pray but again I laid it by and I said it is vain to pray for if I pray and should commit sin I shall be punished or imprisoned but if I pray not I may commit what sin I will and have no punishment for it About a year after I heard the Minister teach another word that the Death of Christ is precious and our death is nothing worth therefore God promiseth pardon of all sins for Christ his sake he bid us remember this against next time When he came again he asked me and I did remember it and do to this day but I confess I did not believe only I did remember it and answered when I was asked And then again I desired to pray to God and would not go away but it was because I loved our place and dwelling I prayed but I believed not I considered not Eternal Life but only this worldly life And thus I went on till they chose Rulers at Natik they chose me and I refused because I believed not After that my Wife and Child died and I was sick to death but lived again and being well I thought I could not pray I was a Child and therefore could not I put off praying to God my Relations died and why should I pray but then I considered why does God thus punish me yea the Minister spake to me about it and said it may be it was because I refused to do Gods work as Moses when he first refused God was patient but when he persisted in his refusal God was angry and then my heart saw my sin and then my heart almost believed I desired to do right and to keep the Sabbath for I further heard in the 4th Commandment Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy and Psa. 101. I will walk wisely in a perfect way Also in Isay 58. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath and do not thy own works nor find thy own pleasure nor speak thy own words therefore my Soul desired to keep the Sabbath then the Souldiers came upon us on the Sabbath day while we were at meeting and took away our Guns and caused us to bring them as far as Roxbury that night my heart was broken off my heart said God is not the Sabbath is not it is not the Lords Day for were it so the Souldiers would not have then come then my heart cast off praying then we came before the Magistrates and Cutshamoquin asked Why they came on the Sabbath-day It was answered that it was lawful but I did not understand it That day I being very thirsty did drink too much and was brought before the Magistrates and was ashamed I came to Roxbury to the Minister and there I was ashamed also because I had greatly sinned then I cried to God for Free-mercy because precious is the Death of Christ oh pardon this my sin Yet again I had temptations to drinking and then I considered what a great sinner I was even like a beast before God Then I heard that word Mat. 5. He that breaketh the beast of Gods Commands and teacheth others so to do shall be the least in the Kingdome of Heaven My heart said Lord such an one have I been for I have been an active sinner yet I cried again for mercy O Lord freely pardon my great sins Again I confess I am very weak even like a very child and I so walk and know not what to do if I die I fear I shall die in my sin yet I cried again O God pardon me for Christ his sake Again further I confess that when I was troubled about our wants poverty and nakedness I considered that text Foxes have holes and Birds have nests but the Son of man hath not whereon to lay his head And again Mat. 6. The Birds plough not and the flowers spin not and yet God doth both feed and cloath them and therefore be not over-much troubled about these things yet I desire to follow labour with my hands because Gen 1. God gave Adam dominion over the creatures and commanded him to Till the ground And Gen. 2. He set him in the Garden and commanded him to dress it and keep it Also Gen. 3. he said Thou shalt eat thy bread in the sweat of thy face all thy dayes till thou returnest to thy dust When I remember these things my heart doth bow to labour also I heard that riches were the root of all evil and Dives with his fine apparel and dainty fare was in hell and poor Lazarus was in heaven When my heart is troubled about our Land â—nd about riches I quiet my heart with these meditations Also I further heard when my heart was troubled about Salvation and doubted I heard that there is no means of Salvation but Christ not any thing in the world can carry us to heaven only Christ which I did believe by Gen. 28. where Iacob dreamed a dream and he saw a Ladder which stood on earth and the top reached up to heaven and that Ladder is Christ who is Man and so toucheth the earth and God and so is in heaven and by believing in him we ascend to heaven as by a ladder This helped me almost to believe and I cried Oh Christ be thou my Ladder to heaven Again Ioh. 14. Christ saith None cometh to the Father but by me therefore I believe nothing can carry me to God but only Christ if I penitently believe in him Again I confess I do still find my self very weak to resist sin for if I read and teach on the Sabbath I teach indeed but I do not as I ought and therefore that Word of Christ doth rebuke me Mat. 23. Hear and do what they say but do not as they do When I do among others reprove sinners that Word of Christ reproveth me Thou hypocrite first cast the beam out of thine own eye and then thou mayest see clearly so cast the moat out of thy brothers eye Again when I pray I find hypocrisie in my heart to do it to be seen of men and that Word of Christ reproveth me Mat. 6. They pray to be sâ—en of men verily they have their reward and then I cryed mightily to God O Lord help me pardon me what shall I do Again I heard Mat. 9. The Son of Man hath power to pardon sin on earth and therefore me O Lord then
with them only I still feared man after I heard the same word again to perswade us to pray to God and I did so but not for Gods sake only it was before man I remembred the Sabbath and I heard Mr Mathews also preach of it and therefore I thought I would keep the Sabbath but still I feared man Upon a Sabbath they wished me to teach what I remembred that the Minister had taught I did so and we had talk about what I said and we fell out Thereupon I went away and left praying to God I went into the Countrey but I remembred my wife and children and quickly returned but not for Gods sake Again the Minister preached on 1 Chron. 28. 9. And thou Solomon my son know the God of thy Fathers and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imagination of the thoughts if thou seek him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever This greatly troubled me because I had left praying to God and I had deserved eternall wrath Then I desired to pray I begged mercy but I knew not what to do for my sins were many my heart was full of originall sin and my heart was often full of anger but then I was angry at my self for I found my heart quickly carried after sin Afterward through the free mercy of God I heard that word He that penitently believeth in Christ shall be pardoned and saved then my heart did beg earnestly for pardon and mercy I heard Ioh. 15. Whatever ye ask the Father in my name he will give it you therefore my heart did now greatly beg for mercy in Christ and pardon Afterward I heard Mat. 5. 28. Who ever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery in his heart Then my heart was troubled because many were my sins in my eies and heart and actions too My heart did love the having of two wives and other lusts of that kind Then Satan said to me You are a great sinner and God will not pardon you therefore cast off praying and run away it is a vain thing for you to pray Here you want land but in the Countrey there is land enough and riches abundance therefore pray no more My heart did almost like it but I heard that word Mat 4. Satan tempted Christ and shewed him the Kingdoms of the world and the glory thereof and promised to give them to him if he would worship him Then my heart said that even thus Satan tempteth me to cast off praying to God and therefore my heart desired to believe that word of Christ Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Then I prayed again but still I was full of sin and very weak I was and I loved sin Again I heard Ioh. 14. I am the Way the Truth and the Life no man cometh unto the Father but by me Then I fully saw that Christ only is our Redeemer and Saviour and I desire to believe in Christ and my heart said that nothing that I can do can save me only Christ therefore I beg for Christ and a part in him Then said my heart I give my heart and my self to Christ and my wife and children let him do with us what he will Then my mother and two children died and my heart said What Christ will do so be it I have given them to him and I begged pardon and mercy if God will please to pardon me a poor sinner blessed be his name When I had read this Confession in the Assembly we called upon the witnesses as before we did whose answer was like as before it was John Speen Hee was next called forth and thus spake I Confess my sins this day before the Lord and not only before God but before all these people Before I prayed verily I was a great sinner yea in my mothers womb I was a sinner my sins are such as not only God knows but people also know them Before our praying I did thorowly sin and did commit all sins and now I confess these my sins before God After I prayed I did alos live in sin At first when I prayed I did not worship God nor believe in Christ but I did therefore pray because my brothers and friends and Waban and the rest did pray for their sakes I prayed And again I therefore prayed because many English knew me that I might please them and because I saw the English took much ground and I thought if I prayed the English would not take away my ground for these causes I prayed When I prayed it was but with my mouth yet I thought I do well enough in that I pray thus and I thought that for it God will pardon all my sins and I thought that my praying was good enough But yet again I sinned and did the like sins as before only I did outwardly pray but I mourned not for my sins I thought if we pray and leave Pauwauing who shall make us well when we are sick But again I thought man could not make us well because he must die himself and therefore Pauwauing is a vain thing and they die though they Pauwau But still my heart did not believe praying to God then I heard that word Repent and believe and if we repent and believe God will pardon all our sins Then sometimes I repented yet again quickly I committed sin and sometimes I thought I am throughly a sinner I heard that God made the world and all things in it and lastly man and that God formed him of the dust of the earth and breathed into him the breath of life and he became a living soul and that God made a Covenant with Adam that he should eat of all the Trees of the Garden save one in the midst of the Garden and if he eat of that Tree he should die Then I understood that Adam sinned fell and thereby I uneerstood that I became a sinner born in sin my heart full of sin and God will not pardon sinners and yet again I sinned and therefore I feared that God will not pardon me because more and more I sinned and thus I sinned after praying as well as before praying When they chose Rulers and chose my brother and not me my heart was in an evil frame and then I thought sure I am a great sinner and yet still I was more and more a sinner After my brothers loved me still and then I repented of my sins but not for Gods sake but for my brothers sake then I desired to pray as long as I live My brother died which troubled me the people said Be you in your brothers place then my heart thought I will no more do as I had done but sure I was weak my praying was but words I was a great sinner After this a while since I heard that
and then my heart said Surely God is angry with me who doth thus afflict me Then I heard that word Mat. 22. God made a Feast and invited his Guests and they would not come and therefore God was angry with them So did I for I came not to the Word of God when he called me I cared not for the Feast of Christ Again after many of my friends were destroyed I thought it was because they prayed not to God therefore I feared that God is angry with me also because of his punishments I fear I believe not Christ and my heart feareth because of my sins daily I break Gods Commands Another Word I heard Mat. 5. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be satisfied this is the Word of Christ and I desire to hunger for Christ and begged O Christ help me Again I remembred that Word Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God my heart saith O Christ help me to be so that cleane may be my heart Again I heard that Word Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God then my heart thought O that I had peace with God in Christ that I might have that blessing and therefore I now confess my sins before God and I beg mercy from God in Jesus Christ When I had read this short confession for the day spent and brevity was called for we called upon the witnesses who spake as formerly Monotunkquanit He was next called who thus spake I Have heard the word and prayed to God several yeares And I confess that before I prayed I was full of sin and yet I do not know my sins I thought they were all good waies and therefore I did them I knew not the Sabbath nor Lecture daies nor any good only I knew wild Actions daily I desired falshood vile actions singing Indian songs these things I desired to do but all good things I was ignorant of and very much I sinned daily Then I heard of praying to God I came to Cohannit at Dorchester from Nipmuk where I lived but my heart laughed at praying and said its a vain action only those actions that I was bred up in I liked and esteemed but these new things I derided The Sachims disliked it and therefore so did I The rich men disliked it and therefore so did I I believed not that God is I went to Cohannit not for praying but to gather clams When I came thither they exhorted me to pray and said The Minister cometh to morrow to teach it is lecture day I desired to see him he came they met together I went and carried my son Samuel I saw the Minister he called my son asked him Who made you they bid him say God but I had not so taught him He asked whose son he was they said mine he said do you pray to God I said no for I am a poore man and naked they that pray are cloathed Therefore I will not pray can poore men pray Therefore I would not pray I went home Then Waban and Totherswamp came to my house and taught me to pray They intreated me now pray to God My heart liked it not They said God is a great God and made all the World I said who is witness of that They said the Minister will answer you Again they taught me the Commandments of God but I did not believe Totherswamp promised to come again he did so and said now pray to God because God is good I thought it a teadious thing to pray to God Then he strongly intreated me I said I will try but not for praying but in vain Then my kindred said praying is a vain thing why will you pray therefore returne again then I went and prayed When I first came Waban taught that Word The night is farre spent the day is as hand therefore let us cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the Armour of light My heart asked what are dark workes They answered sianes and what is day they answered praying to God and the wisdome of the Word is light And this is now almost come unto us Then my heart smile I will pray to God Again I heard the Minister who said these words Thou shalt have no other Gods but me thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing in Heaven above in the earth below in the waters under the earth thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them Then my heart said that I did worship many false gods therefore if I pray it may be God will kill me but they said no he is a good God then I prayed and then my kindred hindred me Therefore my heart said If my kindred pray then I will pray Then I was taught more and I did heare the Word that God made Adam of the dust and made him sleep and took out a rib and made a woman and thus God made man My heart said It may be God made English men but not us poore naked men as we are of a strange language and therefore I doubted to pray Then I heard of Nimrod his building of Babel and that God was angry made strange to each other their language and brake their work Then my heart said Surely so it is as I did believe Again I heard that God found one man just Noah and saved him in his Ark and did drown the world then my heart said I desire that God may find many just persons with us therefore I pray to God then I more prayed Again I heard that God made a Covenant with Abraham and his seed to be their God My heart said so let it be I desire to be in this Covenant of God and to pray so long as I live I thought if I do well God will pardon all my sinnes the Minister said no If you do all good as perfectly yet God will not pardon God will pardon only for Iesus Christ his sake Then I believed Iesus Christ was both God and man and made peace betwixt God and man Christ did for us all the Commandments of God and died for us he payed death for us and therefore for his sake God will pardon us if we believe in Christ I heard that which Mat. 7. Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened c. Then my heart said I will pray as long as I live and knock at heaven dore Again I heard that word Enter in at the streight gate c. My heart said Sure it is so narrow and hard is the way to Heaven broad and easy is the way to hell I desire to walk in the narrow way to heaven Again Christ died for us and thereby saveth us and saith Come to me all that are weary and I will give you rest Then my heart said Great is my weariness for many are my sinnes and I desire rest in Christ
to understand more I began to doubt but I desired not Conversion from sin Afterward when the English taught me I would sit still because they would give me good victuals then I sometimes thought certainly God is in heaven then my thoughts said It may be I have sinned Again I thought if I prayed God could not understand mee then I found it hard to believe and love God because I was almost an old man because I thought if any could read the book he would love God I asked Mr Iackson Whether God knew our language Hee answered Yea God knoweth all languages in the world and therefore now pray unto God then I first thought I will pray unto God a little I thought of praying sometimes I would a little pray when I eat about that time you came to teach us then I remembred the Word Glad tidings was sent us from Heaven then my heart said Now I will pray because the Minister is come to my house now I heard the Word of God Then you called the Children to Catechism and one question is Who redeemed you then you taught that Christ died for our sinnes Then my heart thought that Christ is a very great life-giving God Then I feared not Pauwaus nor loved them and the Minister taught that we must take heed of all these sins Then my heart said I will leave off my sins and again my heart said I will pray to God as long as I live Further you taught that Christ died for sin was buryed rose again ascended then my heart hoped and desired Oh that it might be so that I might have eternall life by Christ because Christ is a great life-giving God But then I found that I did not understand right words and therefore I walked not in the right way when the Word of God said Six daies shalt thou labour then I was strong yet I did not labour and I was soon weary of praying to God and therefore I saw I found not the right way unto righteousness therefore now I verily see that I am a sinner and did not believe my heart feared because of my great sins and my heart feareth that I do not yet much know the Word of God Sometime my heart saith I believe I am a believer but my heart wandereth away and the deceits of my heart I sometime know and my poverty I know but my heart careth not for that I reject riches but my heart saith strongly I will pray to God so long as I live I do not throughly know the vanity of my mind I have heard the Word but believed it not I remember that Word of Christ the Pharisees said Why doth you Master eat with Publicans and sinners Christ said Those that are not sick need not the Physitian but they that are sick My heart said sure I do not need the Physitian but my desire is now that I may need him and spirituall life by him Again I heard that Word of Christ A leper came to Christ and worshiped him saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane and Christ touched him and he was perfectly healed Then my heart said that outward healing which he had my soul desireth that I may have it in my soul for Christ healeth the outward diseases of the body but especially the inward filth of the soul this I desire may be healed Again I heard that Word go learn what that meaneth I desire mercy and not sacrifice I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Then my heart said my own righteousness cannot obtain mercy for me then my heart said Oh I fear that Christ the truest righteousness is not in my heart I am almost ready to die and now I desire to know Christ WHen Mr Peirson had done reading these two last Confessions Mr Wilson spake to this purpose though they have all spoken well of Jesus Christ in their Confessions and especially the last viz Monotunkaniâ— yet he desired further to heare how they were instructed in the knowledge of Christ This question touching Christ I called Piumbathou to answer and his answer was to satisfaction and then many other Catecheticall questions were propounded which would be too long to rehearse as touching Grace Ordinances Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper about Repentance and Faith all which they readily answered so as that there was no reply Nishâ—hkoâ— answered the question what Faith is Mr Allin asked him whether he had that Faith in his heart which he now spake off to which after a pause he answered to this purpose that he feared himself about it and if he spake he must say no! but he hoped in the Lords mercy that he would work it in him and help him to believe Then Mr Danforth said I ask you Nishohkou this question and answer me in English whether the same lusts which you have so much confessed do not follow you still and what you do to resist them I said that a question to the like purpose was asked him when he made Confession in private to which he answered in broken English if the Assembly pleased I would read that but he was desired to answer now and his answer was to this purpose that the Word of God is all one like a sword and he did with that resist his temptations He was asked further if he did diligently watch against his sins he answered he did not well know what a diligent watch is but he hoped that Jesus Christ would keep him Then Mr Danforth called Anthony and asked him whether he believed that it was the duty of men to labour six daies in the week After a pause he answered he believed it was Gods command but he confessed he did not obey it so much as he ought to do and saith Mr Danforth that I would have asked you next whether you obey it for you ought to do so and follow labour and cloath your selfe and family better and you ought to give towards the maintenance of Gods Ordinances After this I remember no more questions Then I declared to the Congregation that they having heard their Confessions if they thought meet they might hear what testimonies we have to produce touching their Conversation but it went not forward and so we ceased the work and Reverend Mr Wilson concluded with prayer After the publick meeting the messengers of the Churches met together and considered what answer to give to our Church and the vote among them all was that as touching their Confessions which was the work of the day they were satisfactory and they appeared in that respect to be fit matter for Church estate The End THese are to testify to all men whom it may concern That two of five Indian youths viz. Cales and Ioel that are instructed and educated in the Grammer School at Cambridge were publiquely examined at the Commencement in Cambridge mon. 6. 9. 59. concerning their progress in the learning of the Latine Tongue out of Buchanans Translation of Davids Psalmes and they gave good satisfaction unto our selves and also to the Honorable Magistrates and Reverend Elders that were present and others that were judicious as we have had opportunity to inquire off and we conceive that the other three Indian Youths that are trained up in the same School have made some competent proficiency for the short time that they have been with us In witness whereof we have subscribed our hands Camb. Sept. 6. 1659. Charles Chauncy Praesident of Haward Colledge in Cambridge Elijah Corlet Londinensis olim jam Ludimagister Cantabrigiensis Note here that God hath so blessed this youth that hee is one of our School-masters and an hopefull young man
Christ a Prophet A. To teach me the way to heaven therefore my heart desireth that Christ may ever lead me by his Word and it is only the mercy of Christ that must do this for me and he giveth me true comfort only by believing in him THe Lord was so graciously with them in these Confessions that they had good acceptance Wee advised with the Church touching our further progress the conclusion whereof was that we sent Letters to all the neighbor-Churches informing them of our progress in this matter in order to our receiving them desiring them or any among them that had any just offence against any of these eight Indians whom we named that they would orderly communicate the same unto us and seasonably or if they had such knowledg of any of them as to give us encouragement we should be thankfull or their silence we should take in good part also We had both incouragement and testimony from some Churches only the paucity of Interpreters to co-attest with my Interpretation was a matter of much difficulty and no small impediment for which cause I sent to Mr Peirson to old Mr Mayhu to Thomas Stanton to be present with us losing no known opportunity to bring our waies into the light and to make all things clear We proposed it to our Church to agree about the publick day of Confessions the conclusion was that a Council was called we sent unto ten Churches about us requesting them by their Messengers to be present on Roxbury Lecture day being the 5th of the 5th Moneth 1659. acquainting them that that day was set apart to hear the Indians Confessions and we requested counsel and direction from them and concurrence with us After Prayer I first declared to the Congregation what supply of Interpreters we had for co-attestation with my Interpretation of the Indians Confessions First here was Mr Peirson and we had for clearness of our way because of his unacquaintance with our dialect ordered the confessing Indians to keep Sabbath at Roxbury we spent half the Sabbath among them a good part whereof was spent in hearing some of their Confessions and all the second day we so spent so that Mr Peirson had taken in writing all their Confessions so that if the Assembly pleased they might hear the Confessions which they made before the Elders of Roxbury which I have here in writing and had been already seen by sundry of the Elders also they might hear the Confessions which Mr Peirson and I had taken yesterday which compared with what the Lord shall assist them to utter this day may help to clear up the verity and reality of their hearts in these their Confessions Moreover I declared that here was a godly brother of Martyns Vineyard named Peter Fouldger who had for many years taught the Indian School in Mr Mayhu's life time since he hath been by the Cōmissioners imployed to teach the Indians each other Sabbath who told me when I spake unto him about this work that by reason of the different dialect he durst not alone undertake to give in a testimony but if he brought one of his Indians with him as need might be to help him then he durst undertake to give a testimony upon Oath if need were This man and his Indian with him are this morning come and are present in the Assembly and set in a convenient feat together Again I declared that my son was present who doth in some measure understand the Language Also here are present two sons of Thomas Stanton one of which the Commissioners maintain at the Colledg And lastly here are the Indian Scholars present so that if the Assembly think meet to make use of any of these youths in this grave business they might so do Further I declared that in all this matter we did submit our selves to the guidance of the Reverend Council here present and desired them to direct us and order us as they saw meet to do in the Lord Then we proceeded to hear the Indians Confessions which are as followeth Nishóhkou I called him forth and said Stand up and make your Confession before the Lord and his people Hee said I Desire to confess before God and all these wise men and God helping by the mercifull help of his gracious spirit that I may confess all my sins I heard that word Gen. 5. that God made Adam in his own Image both male and female and after many years Adam begat a son in his own Image having lost Gods Image And God did form man in the womb of our mother in Adams Image and so I was formed in the Image of Adam and when I was born I lived in the same way in the Image of Satan and original sin was rooted in my heart and grew up there also I confess that when I was a Child my Parents and I were all wilde we prayed to many Gods and many other sins we did and all the people did the same both men and women they lived in all lusts they prayed to every creature the Sun Moon Stars Sea Earth Fishes Fowl Beasts Trees c. all these things I saw when I was a youth and all these things I liked and loved to do and was delighted with these things in all these things I lived and with these things my memory was exercised and in my youth I did what I listed as pauwauing or what else I would when I was grown up I loved lust and delighted in it I knew it not to be a sin but an excellent delight I loved all sin but especially lust and all that I did was for the sake of lust such things as women might like of if I cut my hair it was to please women if I cut my hair in another fashion and left a Lock on one side it was with respect to lust if I got fine cloaths stockins shoes all was for to serve lust our meetings and drinkings were with respect to lust so that this was the chief thing I did delight in and these things were in my bones and there grew then the Minister came to Channit to teach us I came to the Meeting but in vain I came for lust to look on women alwayes I did thus and I thought teaching to be madness and so I continued two years after we prayed to God after two years I heard a little my ears were a little opened I first understood that word He that doubteth is like a wave of the Sea driven to and fro and tossed and that word If any man lack wisdome let him ask it of God who giveth freely and upbraideth no man Also the same Winter I heard that word Gen. 6. God said I will destroy man whom I have created and he repented that he had made him These things I understood and remembred but I confess before God that I did only hear and know these things as I did sometimes speak of what I did remember but I believed not yea I laughed